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Neurological examination
If your doctor (GP or A&E doctor) suspects you have a brain tumour, they will refer you to a specialist, such as a neurologist. These are specialists in brain and nerve disorders. If they suspect a child has a brain tumour, they will refer them to a paediatrician.
The specialist will:
- Ask questions about your health
- Give you a physical examination
- Test your nervous system (called a neurological examination) - this involves looking at your vision, hearing, alertness, muscle strength, co-ordination and reflexes.
They may also look at the back of your eyes to see if there is any swelling of the optic disc. Any swelling is a sign of raised pressure inside the skull, which could be a sign of a brain tumour.
Actions to take
Questions to ask a doctor
Resources to explore
Actions to take
- You should take someone with you to your appointments, so that they can help you take notes, or remember things that you might not. It is also good to have someone there who can help support you emotionally as well
- Find out and note down the contact details of your medical team and make sure you know who to contact if you have any concerns
- It can help to digitally record your consolation with the medical team, so that you can remember what was discussed, or check what you might have missed.
Questions to ask a doctor
- If you don't believe it is a brain tumour, what do you think could be causing my symptoms?
- How can I manage the symptoms I'm experiencing?
- What symptoms would show up in these neurological examinations? What would be concerning?
Resources to explore
Hearing tests to diagnose acoustic neuromas
Acoustic neuromas can be difficult to diagnose as their symptoms can be similar to other conditions.
Diagnosis can also be delayed as the hearing loss may be put down to age-related hearing loss or exposure to high levels of noise earlier in life.
Acoustic neuromas are usually diagnosed after:
- routine auditory tests to reveal any loss of hearing and speech decline
- an audiogram to evaluate the level of hearing in both ears
- tests to check your sense of balance, reflexes and the strength in your arms and legs
- a diagnostic scan (usually an MRI), if there’s a noticeable loss of hearing in one ear.
